Everyone around is talking about the dreaded Nipah Virus and how it is endangering the lives of people and healthcare professionals in remote parts of Kerala. What is this Nipah virus? Where did this suddenly come from? Can it be treated? Let’s find out.

Basic facts you should know about Nipah virus:

First discovered in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 when a large number of pigs and humans handling them were massively infected. The number of deaths reported shot up and people across the world took notice.

The Nipah virus was first identified as a zoonotic pathogen- spreading from animals to humans and later from humans to humans as well.

In the Bangladesh and India, when reports of the disease appeared, it was known to have been caused by the consumption of fruits or fruit products (e.g. raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats.